If you’re looking for the perfect blend of tropical climate and European luxury, the French Antilles offer some of the Caribbean's most sophisticated and civilised cruising grounds.

Guadeloupe is the largest island -just south of Antigua, it's the perfect size for a week's sailing - and further north the leeward islands of St Barths and St. Martin are just a short sail away from each other. Nearby Anguilla adds a further port of call for those who enjoy island hopping and great beaches.

Saint Barthélémy.

St Barths is a tiny island with more than just a hint of St. Tropez about it. Sophisticated yet easy-going and friendly, the island is unspoilt and offers a level of service rarely found elsewhere in the Caribbean. Only 8 miles long, its convoluted coastline provides many anchorages with stunning beaches. Unusually, the population is largely white and, as you’d expect, the island boasts a wide selection of excellent restaurants - the French would never neglect their stomachs!

"Where else, in the Caribbean or otherwise, can you find such a unique combination of sophisticated restaurants, cool boutiques, pristine beaches and beautiful people...?" Harper's Bazaar, September 2007.

St. Barths is for lovers of peace and tranquillity; no-one particularly comes here for the night life - although there is a Nikki Beach! There are no large resorts and no package tours. Instead, a strict approach to planning has restrained development to preserve the island's natural beauty and crime is virtually non-existent. But if you feel in need of a little more pace, the neighbouring island of St. Martin is just an 11 mile sail away.

St. Martin/Sint Maarten.

Split between France and the Netherlands, this is the smallest area in the world to be divided between two countries. The French got most of the best beaches and the leeward anchorages whilst the Dutch built the international airport (Princess Juiliana Airport) which provides easy access from Europe.

St. Martin is more Anglo-Saxon than French; whilst French is the official language, English is used habitually and many of the place names are English. However, the many boutiques of Marigot (the main town on the French side) are filled with French designer goods and the town’s free port status adds to the attraction of a few hours shore leave!

If the shopping proves too strenuous and you find yourself in need of some more beaches to discover, the nearby island of Anguilla is just 6 miles away.

Anguilla.

At the northernmost extreme of the archipelago, Anguilla is the last of the Leeward Islands before you reach the rest of the British Virgin Islands which are situated some 90 miles to the East. The island is renowned for its superb coastline which includes no less than 33 beaches as well as a number of small, neighbouring islets.